The Heathen Deity
by Swirlypasta
Summary: She watches over him as he sleeps, defending against those who would harm. And, for once, he knows what it is to be guarded, instead of guarding. [OdionxOC] Drabble-fic (mostly).
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1**

* * *

He knew that he was dreaming. Hands stroked his face gently. Kisses were rained down upon him, upon his forehead, his cheeks, his jaw, his neck and shoulders and chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," was whispered over and over with such crushing agony and misery and sorrow, more than he would wish anyone to bear, more than anyone deserved to bear.

And the sobs, the silent, body-wracking sobs that caused her to tremble beside him, were worse. Her tears fell hot on his skin, heart-wrenching and innumerable.

"I'm so sorry, Odion."

He jerked awake, eyes frantically searching for her form, and when he found nothing his hands fell to the space she had been occupying in his dream.

The sheets were still warm.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2  
**

* * *

There was one conversation that resided in his memories more clearly than almost any other.

_"My Fate is not made so because it is controlled by She. It is because I will it. Fate may create the path, but I will influence it however I see fit, and I refuse to bow to one as truly fickle as Her. I have only diverted so barely within peoples' ignorant prophecies because oftentimes, I will agree and simply allow it to happen."_

_A faint smile had crossed her resolute features then._

_"Besides, nothing is impossible."_

Only improbable.

She had proven that it was not such a difficult, miraculous feat to thwart Fate, after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

* * *

"You are _not_ their subordinate, least of all their servant, Odion!" she snapped. "Don't let them treat you as such!"

"It is my place to protect my siblings, Iris."

"Do not fucking take that side," she snarled, stabbing a finger at him. "You are a better person than most of them will ever be, and you know it!"

He observed her calmly as she halted her pacing to glare up at him.

"Don't you dare forget that, Odion. Ever. I will not forgive you for it if you do."


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

* * *

A murmured word of comfort here, a trace of patterns on skin there, a brush of hands everywhere.

Here, there, everywhere.

Everyday.

She clenched her eyes shut and ground her teeth together from the unfairness of it all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

* * *

The chains were heavy (shackled to her body as they are).

Her eyes sat painfully in her sockets (aching, sometimes burning when she thinks she might cry (but she never does)).

It was dark.

It was cold.

_So,_ so _cold._

She was hungry, thirsty (this burns, too).

She wanted Odion (wants him so much that it is agony).

She wanted the boy- no, the man who was her home (he will always be her home, her solace, her shelter from this cruel and ugly world).

The only one who might miss her should she die here.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6  
**

* * *

"Tch!"

"Iris…"

She sighed and turned away.

"Just- Just leave it. It doesn't matter."

Because it really didn't. Certainly, it was just trivial in comparison to everything else.

"It does," he insisted, reaching hands out to place them upon her shoulders from behind.

She shrugged, seemingly uncaring, and chose a topic she thought might appear like what he thought she was keeping. It was close enough, honestly.

"You have your marks now. You have your rite of passage."

Here there was a long pause between words.

"But what will you do when finally presented a choice, when it is shoved right in your face?"

_How much of your self will remain? Will you have enough left of you, for me?_

She watched, dejected, as he tried, and failed, to answer.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

* * *

There were tracks down her cheeks from the tears and her throat was hoarse from all of the screaming. She writhed upon the ground.

"No," she groaned. "No, no, no, _no."_

She needed to be with him, _had_ to be there for him.

She had to protect him, because, if not her, who would?

She arched back and let loose a keening howl that rent the air and sent shadows and light alike fleeing (from her, always from her).

Didn't Fate understand that she loved him?

_Fickle bitch._

.

.

.

.

Beneath the rubble and dust, something long sealed away stirred.

.

.

.

.

_I'll show Her. I'll show them all what happens when they fuck with a heathen deity._

_YOU SHALL NOT KEEP ME._


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8  
**

* * *

Curled into the back corner of the room, scowling, she flicked collected rocks from her knee.

Odion was late.

Again.

Exhaling heavily through her nose, arms and tail wound tight around her legs, she leant into the wall and closed her eyes.

She supposed it couldn't be helped.

.

Light shaking woke her and she blinked her eyes open blearily.

"Iris? Let's get you on the bed. I know you must be tired from waiting up for me."

"Odion…" she murmured, rubbing the crust in her eyes away.

An arm wound around her shoulders and tugged her to her feet firmly.

"Come on. Don't be difficult. You look exhausted."

She was awake now, though, and dug her heels into the floor.

"I've slept enough. Why were you so late?"

Odion was silent.

Iris sighed and reached a hand out to clasp one of his.

"If he hurt you, Odion-"

He squeezed her hand before pulling away gently and smiling down at her.

"He's my father. He hasn't hurt me before and he isn't going to now."

Her eyes darkened in fury.

"The words he throws around are as good as, though."

He looked older, weary, all of a sudden, and very, very serious.

"Take the bed, Iris," he murmured softly, rubbing a hand down the side of his face.

Her chin wobbled and her lower lip trembled at the blatant dismissal.

"Okay," she acquiesced quietly, dropping her head and drawing her frame inwards.

She watched him slump out of the corners of her eyes, eyes that she refused to believe were burning.

"Iris, you _know_ that…" he trailed off and swallowed, and she turned from him, slipping toward the bed.

"I _know,_ Odion. I know that you bear it for your siblings."


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

* * *

"No."

It was a hoarse gasp, almost obliterated under the sharp crack of his ribs as they broke, and she bristled in the shadows because she _knew_ that it was directed at her.

"Worthless child," his abuser spat, lifting him by the front of his robe and slamming him to the wall.

Grinding her teeth and stabbing her nails into her upper arms, she cloaked herself further, deeper, into the darkness and obeyed.

"If you _ever_ let anything happen to Marik again, I will dig your heart from your chest and rip it to pieces."

Blood trickling down her arms, dripping from her elbows, the only thing that kept her from tearing the man's throat out in that instant was Odion's resolute gaze locking with hers. She bared her teeth and hissed, lying in wait to soothe his wounds.

* * *

**AN:** A few of the earlier parts have had a few words changed, so you guys can check that out if you want. *shrugs*


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 10**

* * *

She curled into his side, eyes narrowed as they cut easily through the darkness to survey their surroundings.

"You can sleep, Iris," he mumbled from just above her head.

Her eyes turned to slits and her lips flattened into a straight line. Ears laying back against her skull, her tail twitched once around her waist before stilling completely.

"No."

He sighed tiredly.

"Iris."

"No," she hissed, hackles rising. "You are injured. Shut your mouth and sleep yourself."

This time the sigh was exasperated, though his body stayed relaxed around her.

"If you aren't going to sleep, then I don't want to," he muttered stubbornly.

Smirking, she began to hum, and within the minute he was out like a light. She settled in to keep watch.


	11. Chapter 11

**Part 11  
**

* * *

She stared in wonder at the flower offered to her, a stunning blue lotus. Tentatively, she reached out and brushed a finger lightly along one of the petals.

"What is this for?" she asked softly, peeking up at him through her hair and feeling shy all of a sudden.

He smiled down at her.

"For watching over me."

Her heart fluttered in her chest and her fingers curled away and into her palm.

He seemed unsure now.

"You don't… like flowers?" he queried quietly.

She shifted, tail swishing through the air slowly, eyes softening at his insecurity. Summoning her wits, she extended her fingers forward once more and gently tugged the bloom free of his grasp.

"It isn't that, Odion."

The expression on her face as relief filled his eyes was so tender, it was almost heartrendingly bittersweet.

"I love it. It's beautiful, just like your soul."

He reached down and clasped her free hand in both of his, and they stood there in silence for a while, the flames from the wall sconces flickering upon their content features.

"For everything, for you," he whispered. "Thank you, Iris."


	12. Chapter 12

**Part 12  
**

* * *

He stared blindly around the room and reached up to touch the tears still present on his skin. A hand rested on the warm sheets she had occupied in what he now knew to have not been a dream.

The door suddenly slammed open, and Ishizu and Marik burst inside.

"Odion!" the younger cried, rushing to hover by him.

He only blinked in response and leant back into the pillows.

"You have not seen her, have you?"

His siblings paused, Marik frowning.

"Seen who?"

Odion sighed.

"I suppose it does not matter."

"You collapsed again, soon after Marik returned to himself," Ishizu began gently. "We made sure to be on call if there was any change in your condition."

"How do you feel, Odion?" Marik asked hesitantly.

"I feel… fine, and I am glad that the both of you are well."

Now Ishizu frowned, and the siblings watched their brother together with worry.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you, dear guest, _Somebody,_ for being the first reviewer (even if it was only one word). ^w^ You gave me a little bit of determination to write and upload another part. =3


	13. Chapter 13

**Part 13  
**

* * *

She stood beside him, clothed in robes of ebony, as the small pyre near his dead mother's recently closed tomb was lit. His eyes were dark and shadowed, and there were lines underneath that spoke of sleepless nights.

She tightened the hold she had on his hand minutely.

"I'm sorry," she breathed. "I'm so sorry."

There was no response, and six hours later, when the embers were the only things left smouldering away, he tugged her from their place against the back wall and up and out of the lowest catacombs.

And she wanted to _destroy_ and scream, because the man who was supposed to be his father had refused to allow him any closer.

* * *

**AN:** Just in case anybody ever decides to nitpick, there _are_ such things as double-drabbles and triple-drabbles, so it's completely within bounds for this to be labelled a drabble-fic. :P


	14. Chapter 14

**Part 14  
**

* * *

She opened her eyes, gathering the wisps of her being to become substantial once more.

Yami Marik stood before Odion's bedside, looking for all the world as though he would strike his adopted brother down where he lay.

She would not allow it. She had much to say to this imposter.

Because he hadn't taken care of Odion in her absence.

Because if what she felt were to be described as simple anger or fury, it would be the understatement of the millennia.

Yami Marik would _die_ before he laid another hand on Odion.

He would die, just like anyone else who dared attempt harm.


	15. Chapter 15

**Part 15  
**

* * *

She wondered if he would ever love her, if he would ever be _able_ to love her, the way that she loved him.

She wondered if he would ever realise, if he would ever understand, just how much she would always be willing to do, and how far she would always be willing to go, for him.

And she wondered if she could ever tell him, if she could ever _let_ herself tell him.

Her tired eyes kept a vigil from one of the two chairs in the room. She had grown weary of the shadows for the moment, and had decided to curl up in something more solid.

Her eyes slid closed, and she fell victim to the realm of dreams, but not once did she neglect her watch.


	16. Chapter 16

**Part 16  
**

* * *

The young woman curled in one of the chairs in the corner remained undisturbed as a small crowd of people entered the room, most immediately falling quiet.

"Who the Hell is that?!" Joey exclaimed, flailing his arms and pointing emphatically.

One of her ears twitched, but other than that she did not respond to the noise.

"Be still, Joey. She means no harm," Ishizu stated calmly.

"But who is she?" Yugi queried, eyes alight with curiosity. "You know her?"

"Yes," Marik answered softly. "Though we did not expect to see her after such a long time of parting."

Ishizu's eyes were thoughtful, but soft, as she spoke.

"I suppose it is no great surprise that she is here now, in his time of need. In fact, I would not be shocked if we were to learn that she has been here the whole time."

"What? She his girlfriend or somethin'?" Joey asked rather loudly.

Marik shrugged.

"We do not know, and it's always been difficult to tell with them, anyway. When we were younger, though, I remember… They were always following each other around, and it was only when she wasn't there that we ever got into any real trouble. They would always argue then. Well, she would argue. He would just wait her out and apologise. She was always angry _for_ him, though, never at him."

The conscious occupants of the room stared in silence at the two before them.

* * *

**AN:** Uhm… thanks, _Taco._ I was thinking of you as I wrote **Part 16**.


	17. Chapter 17

**Part 17  
**

* * *

_"Cobwebs!"_ she shrieked. "Of _all things,_ it just _had to be_ cobwebs!"

Odion failed to completely conceal the amusement that slid across his face, and that was his undoing.

She caught the expression before he managed to hide it and narrowed her eyes at him.

His features rapidly transitioned into something of a deer caught in the headlights.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" she asked flatly.

There was an uncomfortable pause on Odion's part.

"If I tell the truth, what are you going to do?"

She smiled, slow and sinister, and slunk toward him.

The colour had just begun draining from his face when she grinned, pounced on him, and began tickling him with merciless enthusiasm.

"How do you like them apples, huh?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Part 18  
**

* * *

If anything, she was glad that she hadn't been torn from him on a sour note. The horrible supposition had struck her, though, that perhaps not being able to rationalise why she had disappeared might be worse.

Quiet apologies dropped from her lips one after the other, a desperate attempt to perhaps send something across dimensions to reassure him, let him know that she was still here, still here to protect him, that she would stand by his side again as soon as she could.

_And what if he is not troubled by your disappearance?_

She pulled up short, body physically jerking against the chains, the jangling of the weighty links filling the air.

_What if it is nothing to him?_

She hung her head and squeezed her eyes shut tight, pushing aside voices and thoughts not her own to focus solely on maintaining the image of Odion's smiling face behind her eyelids.

Ignored for the moment, but not something to be banished, the treacherous speech returned, its head raising spitefully with a vengeance through sweet, slithering whispers.

_You mean nothing to him. You know it. You know this truth. You know you are nothing to him._

A broken, muffled sob barely echoed before apologies once more dripped from her tongue.


	19. Chapter 19

**Part 19  
**

* * *

"Hey, Odion…"

He blinked down at her, the slightest bit befuddled.

It wasn't like she had _meant_ for things to end up this way.

"Ah… Sorry. About this," she continued awkwardly.

She had refrained from even the slightest shift of weight ever since she had realised the situation, and therefore position, she had gotten them stuck in. It was still a struggle, but no movement meant a little less focus was drawn to the way every single reachable part of him was pressed to her. The heat of his body made her feel slightly dazed and unsteady, and set her heart aflutter.

She was so screwed.

* * *

**AN: **A genuine thank you to _pitou77_ and _Someone_ for being my reminders in the back of my head to get off my butt and actually finish these parts, the latter of whom is actually drawing fan art for me!

I also wish to convey my most profound gratitude to _dunnoifGraluorNalu,_ who has been a constant friend throughout the process of writing each new part and much help in my agonising over, "Do I use this word or that one?!"


End file.
